


Kill the Fear

by aurumdalseni (kyo_chan)



Series: Kill the Fear [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Galra History, Haxus - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Sendak - Freeform, Senshiro, Shendak, Shendak Week, guess I'm doing this, redemption arc, that redemption arc I keep asking for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-09-13 23:43:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9147220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyo_chan/pseuds/aurumdalseni
Summary: While taking over a Galra sentry facility at the edge of a solar system, Shiro discovers a holding cell with the last soul in the universe he expects to see. It's powerful to think he is the one holding all the cards when he finds Sendak imprisoned by his own people. But Sendak still has a thing or two Shiro wants, and what price is he willing to pay to get them? A bargain is made that changes what it means to be a paladin of Voltron and a commander of the Galra Empire.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, okay, so this is my first submission for Shendak week, and while I totally meant to participate with some mindless fun contributions, the muses seem to have other plans. I have been begging the universe for a Sendak redemption arc, and now it seems like I'm going to write one myself. I hope you enjoy! I love this dynamic, this ship if you will, and I'm excited to see where all of this goes! Thank you for reading! Please feel free to talk to me on tumblr as well! [main blog](http://aurumdalseni.tumblr.com) | [Voltron-centric side blog](http://paladinpuppypile.tumblr.com)

There is no mistaking it. Shiro feels powerful from the shadows, staring between the bars he feels shouldn’t be able to hold the creature within. As his mind processes the familiar shape of tufted ears, the mismatched glow of eyes, he thinks this a fine show of karma. Despite his captivity, nothing about Sendak’s body language suggests any form of submission. The hunch of his shoulders is that of a creature coiled for a fight,  _ waiting _ . In spite of himself, Shiro shivers. He has to come to a decision and quickly, all the while a cold sweat creeping down the back of his bodysuit. His right hand twitches, and he doesn’t look down to see if it’s glowing.

“I can smell you, you know.” 

To his credit, Shiro does not jump, but now both of his fists are clenched tightly, and he steps into the light where he can be both seen and scented. He is none too pleased, and he tries to exude his fierceness in the line of his shoulders, the crease in his brow. 

Sendak is unimpressed. If anything, he appears...tired. Shiro is loathe to admit to himself he can relate. He wants to be in control of this entire situation, and he’s not. It’s in his nature to make a terrible joke,  _ fancy meeting you here _ , but he just can’t, it’s too close to home. He still feels powerful for being on the other side of the bars, but it’s like holding a sword and having no idea how to swing it without chopping his own head off. 

“And now what will you do?” Sendak asks, since it seems Shiro isn’t about to break the thick silence between them anytime soon. 

“We’ve taken this facility. There are no more functioning sentries, only a few live soldiers from the command tower. And you.” Shiro is still trying to work it out in his head, Sendak a prisoner of his own people. A commander of his accomplishments, and he’s rotting away in a cell on some distant planetary training facility. The paladins wouldn’t have even considered live prisoners since it had seemed mainly a test and programming site for the sentries. 

Surprise.

“Will you finish us off then?”

“Wha-- No.” Shiro is firm, resolute. “Zarkon is the one who conquers and destroys, not us. Don’t get us confused.” 

Sendak shifts, moving to stand his full height in the cell now, and his movements are indeed tired but still strong. It takes everything in Shiro’s power not to activate his arm, not to react more than just the way his eyes follow to keep contact with Sendak’s. Given the keen sense of smell he’s up against here, he doubts he’s very convincing in his stoicism, but it’s better than nothing, a flimsy armor over his core. Looking at him now, Shiro remembers bits and flashes of things he’d rather keep buried, this is not what he expected to find here.

“I will offer you a trade, Champion.”

Shiro snorts, and the bitterness comes from somewhere deep inside him, a place he doesn’t entirely remember and isn’t sure he wants to. “What do you have left to offer me,  _ Commander _ ? You yourself are a prisoner to the Galra, they’ve stripped you of everything and left you here to rot. What can you possibly give me?”

Sendak bares his teeth. Shiro swallows. “Are you saying my knowledge is worth nothing to you? All my years as Zarkon’s personally trained soldier is of little significance to your quest to overthrow his entire empire? You knew the answer before you even asked the question. You went so far as to allow the Alteans to steal my memories, you were that hungry for an edge.”

Shiro remembers  _ that _ . He remembers all too well how it had both been successful and backfired right in his face.

“You survived.” He allows the incredulousness to slip into his voice. Sendak had survived being in a broken pod released into space.

“Yes. If offering you and your  _ princess _ an agreement in exchange for my continued survival is the route I must take, then so be it.”

“You would betray your own people.”

Sendak’s laugh fills the chamber, settles in the hollows of Shiro’s bones and turns his skin to fire. “Have I not been betrayed by them? Is this how one treats the emperor’s most loyal commander?”

“It’s not so great to be on the other side, is it?” Petulant, more childish than he, the black paladin, should ever be outside of his own thoughts. He has to let it go. If he’s seriously considering the bargain on the table, he has to get it out of his system. Shiro might be able to play the decisive head of Voltron well, he might fumble through being a good leader, but he’s not above his own pettiness and a need for justification. “The only thing that would make this more appropriate is if you were being marched down to fight in the Arena.”

Sendak is still smiling, unfazed. His ears flicker and something about the expression is so familiar to Shiro. He can’t put it into words, but he feels like he’s about to hear something he doesn’t want to.

“I will tell you a little secret, Champion. I have been in the Arena, I have conquered there. How else would I have known what to look for in you?”

There are times when Shiro hates being right. He takes a deep breath. “I am going to release you from this cell.” His tone is flat, he pushes the words out one by one. He looks Sendak over, takes in the simple clothing that has replaced his proud armor, the harness that keeps his remaining arm pinned behind his back. The Galra have done nothing to replace the one he lost in the Castle of Lions, which is surprising in itself. But then again, if they wanted a prisoner they could control, leaving him bereft of one of his most powerful weapons is a strategic maneuver even Shiro can’t argue with. “There isn’t a single person in my crew that is going to agree with the decision I’m making, but I’m making it. It’s probably in your best interest not to mouth off to them and give them more reason to toss you out of an airlock at the first opportunity. I’ll bet the red paladin is already itching to do it, and he hasn’t even seen you yet.”

“Of course,” Sendak says with a nod. The smile is gone, his expression somber. It’s as if he’s well aware Shiro is about to remove the only barrier remaining between them. 

It will change everything.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro has just found one of their most dangerous Galra enemies locked up on a backwater planet in a production facility -- by his own people. Commander Sendak offers Shiro a deal -- information for his freedom. Shiro is ready to say yes, but he doesn’t get the final call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with chapter 2! Going to try and get on a regular posting schedule with this. Wish me luck and enjoy!

“Absolutely not.”

Shiro holds back an exasperated sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. He doesn’t stand a chance looking or feeling imposing to Allura, who had bodily thrown him across the room into an escape pod a few months ago. It’s a fair bet she isn’t at all worried about who would actually win the impending debate. Shiro definitely doesn’t want to fight, it’s written all over his face, but he’s not ready to bow down to her rejection before she’s heard his entire case. He opens his mouth to start his counter-argument, but she cuts him off.

“The last time Sendak was on my ship, Lance was almost killed, we almost lost the lions and every fibre of the castle’s being was infected by a Galra crystal virus. And you expect me to allow him to walk free alongside us as if he can be a trusted ally? You must think me daft, Shiro.”

“I don’t think you...anything, Princess.” Shiro meets her glare full on and remains resolute. “I’m not expecting for us to walk down there, throw open the cell door and exchange friendship bracelets.” He ignores her quizzical look. “Listen, I have even more reason than you not to want him anywhere near myself, the paladins or you and Coran. You can’t fight me on that. But we need to start looking at strategic advantages and using what resources we have, whether we like them or not.”

“There are strategic moves and then there are desperate maneuvers.”

“Can you really tell the difference between them right now?” Shiro snaps. 

Startled, Allura’s jaw works, but nothing comes out.

“In case you need to be reminded of the simple math, there are seven of us, five battle cats that make one awkward battle robot, a support castle-ship and two planetary alliances comprised of peaceful races, one of which doesn’t even come up to my knee. It takes one druid to break a wormhole and set us back for weeks. Zarkon has had ten thousand years to build an entire empire with fleet after fleet of AI-controlled war ships. At the rate we’re going, it’s going to take us another ten-thousand years just to get an edge, and here’s a fun fact about  humans -- our life expectancies aren’t going to cut it. You can hang onto your holier-than-thou attitude towards the Galra, for some very good reasons, but that is  _ not _ how we’re going to win this war.”

Allura’s fists clench at her sides and Shiro braces for some kind of impact. “You...you can’t speak to me that way.” 

“What way? Like the ‘decisive head of Voltron’ you named me when you coaxed us all into this with promises of destiny and hope? Maybe I’ve never been in a real war before, but I’m still a soldier. I’m going to respect your experience and your commands, but like it or not, I won’t agree with everything you say. We have to be willing to consider things we’d rather not  -- just like my paladins did when they chose to keep fighting at your side.”

“Speaking of your paladins, don’t you think you should be having this discussion with them as well? If we’re going to make a foolish decision, we should at least do it together. Or do you not think they’ll see it your way either?”

Shiro flinches and his eyes narrow. “Maybe next time I’ll ask them  _ first _ .”

“Maybe you two should stop arguing and compromise.”

Shiro and Allura both turn to find Pidge standing in the doorway to the control room giving them the look of an exasperated parent who just broke up two toddlers over a toy. She takes advantage of the stunned pause to stride confidently into the room. The hushed whispers beyond the doors tip Shiro off that he and Allura were never having a private conversation at all.

“If Shiro wants us to make more advantageous alliances and the princess doesn’t want to let Sendak onto the ship, then the logical conclusion is one we should be making anyway.” She holds up her arm and taps the green part of her bracer, calling up a viewscreen that shows a basic layout of the facility they’re in. “This plant is primarily used for the production of sentries and drones. It’s not a battle station, which is why there are only a couple of non-automated guards. Considering the planet we’re on is at the ass-end of this solar system, the Galra didn’t really expect this to be a hub of activity or a target for us. It works to our advantage.” She taps a few tabs on the screen, zooming in on the assembly lines, frozen for the moment. “If we can dial in to the facility’s programming functions, we can start new production of sentries.” Her grin is wide; Shiro loves it when she smiles. She reminds him of Matt when he’s made a breakthrough. “Sentries that work for  _ us _ .” Pidge closes the screen. “It might help some of that ‘simple math’ Shiro was talking about.”

“There’re also gonna be security clearances here that the low-ranking guards and sentries aren’t gonna have access to,” Hunk says. “And the last time we used Shiro’s hand, he set off every alarm on the battleship -- no offense, Shiro.” 

He shuffles over to join them, and by now, the rest of the paladins have given up on pretending they’re not eavesdropping. Shiro holds up his hands and shakes his head. He’s smiling just a little bit, but trying not to let Allura see. 

“That’s not to say that Sendak’s signature code isn’t going to set off all the alarms either,” Keith says with his arms crossed. “But at least he’s not a fugitive. He’s just a failure.”

Shiro frowns; something about that doesn’t sit right with him, but he lets it go. 

“So we take over this facility, pop out a few thousand drones, send them out to go do our fighting for us, and we can take a vacation to earth to check in! Good thinking, Pidge!” Everyone shoots a look at Lance, who just shrugs and his expression sobers into a more somber smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “It was worth a try.”

“You’re all truly all right with allowing Sendak to strike a deal with us?” Allura asks incredulously.

“Of course we’re not all  _ right _ with it,” Hunk says, “but Shiro’s right. We’ve gotta look at where we can get an edge, and as long as we stay located here and keep him away from the castle for a while, maybe we can get something out of it.”

Allura takes a deep breath. “I will confer with Coran. In the meantime, continue your sweep of the facility and stop standing around chatting.” She turns on her heel and stalks off. 

Lance nudges Shiro in the ribs. “Nice job, buddy. I think you won.”

Shiro’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “We’ll see about that.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sendak is brought to face the entire Voltron crew for the uncomfortable beginnings of a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost feel bad for everyone in this chapter, they need to find a giant get-along shirt.
> 
> Come talk to me on [tumblr](http://aurumdalseni.tumblr.com)!

Three paladins escort Sendak to the control room of the facility. Two of them he remembers well, blue and green, both capable and resourceful in their own rights. The yellow one is a wild card, nowhere to be found during their battle for the Castle of Lions. Sendak suspects he was the one sent to find a new crystal to power the ship after the drone bomb went off. Green and yellow flank him while blue marches at his back, bayard fully formed and braced against his shoulder. Sendak remembers the force of that blaster, how close that shot had come to his head, even in the blue paladin’s near-comatose state. The boy's focus is sharp, a sign he’s been trained since their last encounter. His steps and the roll of his shoulders are meant to look relaxed, comfortable with inaction, but he's steady, ready to fire if Sendak makes a wrong move. He’s not planning on it, but it’s somewhat reassuring to know they’re prepared for anything. They have to be. 

They reach the main corridors of the facility, and Sendak maps the layout in his own mind. Before his imprisonment, he had only been to this particular place once or twice and only as a check-in or to replenish his sentry and drone supply. The control room is about the size of a battle cruiser bridge, which immediately makes him more comfortable in spite of the grim reception awaiting him there. The princess, her advisor, the Champion, the red paladin. One big not-so-happy family. 

“Princess Allura.” Sendak greets her first, the way he’s bound making a formal bow a little stiff and awkward, but he gives her that courtesy anyway.

Allura doesn’t respond in kind. He really doesn’t expect her to. “I hope you’re aware how much I despise you and this crazy little alliance you and Shiro have forged.” She takes a deep breath. “However, it benefits us both to try. If I see so much as one wrong move, there will be no second chances. I’ll release you out into space with no pod at all.”

“Princess--” Shiro is cut off by the sweep of her hand, and his brow furrows, lips a tight line.

“Do we have an understanding?”

Sendak nods. “I anticipated nothing less than such a promise. I have no desire to return to space or that prison cell.” His ears flicker forward as his gaze shifts over to Coran, who stands quietly at Allura’s side, cautious. “You are Coran, are you not?”

Coran perks up, surprised to be addressed, heels together and spine straight as if he’s been called to attention. “And if I happen to be the brave and loyal Coran, what’s it to you, Galra?”

Sendak’s lip twitches, quirking at the corner to reveal a sharp fang. The smile fades as quickly as it comes, and he bows to Coran as well. “My teacher, Haxus, would have wished me to pass on his regards.”

Speechless, Coran gasps. Nearby, the little green paladin looks away sharply. The scents in the room change slightly, and Sendak curbs a growl before it can start.

_ ::“Haxus is gone, and you’re next!”:: _

War spares no one; Haxus had understood that better than most. Sendak lets it go. It’s not worth drawing attention to when they’re trying to build alliances. He has been taught to see the bigger picture, and right now it includes the paladins of Voltron.

Since no one hurries to break the awkward silence, and Shiro doesn’t like the way Allura looks between Sendak and Coran, he clears his throat. “First thing’s first. We’re going to commandeer this station, and you’re going to help us access the blueprints for what’s being produced here. Until we get things sorted out, I’m afraid we’re going to have to keep you where we found you unless you’re needed. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get food. It’s only fair.” 

Sendak understands the way Shiro looks at him, and he nods. It would seem their roles truly had reversed, only this time, there is no arena. Sendak’s most fearsome opponent is likely to be Allura, but he has the knowledge they need and it’s a bargaining chip for the moment. Shiro will temper her anger with his sense of justice, Sendak is counting on that for his continued survival. He doesn’t argue being put back in the cell; he needs to pick his battles for now. Besides, he’s already spent weeks in there, what was a bit longer? 

“You will probably want to pull the sentry schematics straight from the production machines running them. Since the empire has been spread so widely, there’s a good chance that very few of the daily assembly lines aren’t automated. None of the guards here would have any reason to review the drawings or change any of the parameters. It might catch some attention if something gets back to one of the main hubs that someone was trying to access them.”

“But it would make sense to have them at the machine level in case something malfunctioned and needed to be repaired,” the yellow paladin muses. “And if there are any output recordings reported back to the main computer, we might want to go down there and start production again, at least so no one wonders why the robot factory isn’t making robots.”

“We’ll have to start making tweaks immediately. Especially if ships dock at this facility the way they did at the main hub to pick up their regular supply of cannon fodder.” That from the red paladin, Keith. Sendak knows his name well, he’d all but shouted it at the red lion when he’d come to claim her. She must have picked up something in his quintessence and accepted it she so readily dove straight out of the airlock to fetch him. 

“They will,” Sendak says. “Not as frequently as some of the hubs closer to Zarkon’s central command, but they will come. You will want to spare those guards you found here and convince them it’s worth their while to give the all-clear at the next check-in.”

All heads turn to the two low-ranking Galra who are still bound together at the corner of the control room, wisely keeping quiet. 

“Pidge, do you think you have enough time to start infiltrating and modifying the sentry machines?”

“Huh?” The green paladin lifts her head, snapping out of whatever thoughts she’d been lost in. “Y-yeah, I think I can manage, as long as we bypass any security checks.” She looks at Sendak warily. 

He wonders if that’s guilt he’s picking up from her. He wonders if he’ll ever know for sure.

“Then it’s settled,” Shiro announces. Something about the sharpness of his words tells Sendak he picked up on something in those few moments, even if he doesn’t know what it is yet. “Lance, Hunk, you and Pidge escort Sendak down to the production bays and start getting those lines back up. Keith, I want you to do a perimeter check and make sure we’re not missing any other guards or prisoners. Allura and I will work with these nice guards here to make sure the very next Galra ship that stops by gets a warm welcome. Let’s get to work.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a paladin of Voltron begs the question, ‘is there ever a chance to catch a break?’. The answer is almost always and frustratingly ‘no’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, my dears! I was really excited to write this next chapter and get it posted, I almost didn't want to wait for it to be proofread. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Come talk to me about Voltron on [tumblr](http://aurumdalseni.tumblr.com)!

“This whole level is like one of those corrupted AI movies. You know, where robots are created for the good of humanity, but something goes wrong or some megalomaniacal genius reprograms them to take over the world.”

“Hunk, you’re really not making being down here any better,” Lance retorts. “They’re just heaps of junk with no blasters right now. Really creepy heaps of junk that all feel like they’re staring at us, but don’t make it worse.”

Sendak remains quiet while they banter. Their descent into the lower level of the facility had steadily raised the tension among the three paladins. Their anxiousness is practically tangible at this point, or at the very least an unpleasant tickle in his nose, on his tongue when he breathes in their scents. Their nerves aren’t entirely unwarranted. Sendak had kept sentries on his ship out of sheer necessity. No amount of artificial intelligence can ever be good enough to replace the thinking mind of a Galra soldier. The sentries are predictable in their patterns, some of the better designs capable of giving answers and changing directives on the fly. Perfect cannon fodder for ship patrols and fighter pilots, but he dislikes them nonetheless. Seeing them amassed in the production room, hundreds of metal bodies  _ waiting _ , sits about as well with him as it does his three escorts.

“This equipment isn’t too unlike manufacturing plants back home,” Pidge comments as she approaches the main assembly belt. “Your standard assembly line taking individual parts and putting them together. Looks like the most complicated piece to this is where the heads are produced.” She cranes her neck to seek that one out. “That’s the one I’m going to need to work on first. It’s where all the data for the sentries’ primary functions are installed.”

“And we really have to start all this up before we figure that one out?” Hunk frowns. “I think that’s kind of backwards, don’t you?”

“It is, but maybe we can slow down some of the other machines so they’re still producing, but the output of Galra-programmed sentries is decreased. Much as I hate to say it, I’m worried that if a cog in Zarkon’s well-oiled machine of an empire gets stuck, even all the way out here, it’ll put a target sign on our location.”

“Would probably match real nice with the one we’re all wearing on our backs,” Lance huffs.

He shifts under the weight of his bayard. Sendak is well aware he hasn’t put it down since they took him out of the cell and probably won’t until he’s safely back inside it. The blue paladin sounds tired. They all do.

“Right, so what’s first?” Hunk asks. 

Sendak’s ears flicker as he looks around the room. They’re not the only ones who feel the weight of the invisible targets on them. “You will need to engage the main power source. In an emergency, the guards are instructed to stop the lines and divert power to a distress beacon that will alert the nearest fleet.”

Hunk whirls on him. “Are you telling me that there’s probably a fleet headed this way?”

Sendak shrugs beneath the harness. “I’m not the one you should ask.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me right now! What if they’re already on their way?”

Pidge sighs, shooting Sendak a glare. “Calm down, Hunk. If main power had been funneled into a distress beacon, we would have seen it any time after they realized we infiltrated. We got the drop on this place, so stop worrying. Sendak is trying to get under your skin.”

Sendak wants to comment that he really doesn’t have to try all that hard, but he keeps that wisely to himself. He doesn’t want to test Lance’s reflex on the trigger.

_ “Don’t worry, guys. The controls up here say nothing was transmitted.”  _ Shiro’s voice. Sendak can hear it faintly echoing through all three of the paladins’ helmets, calm and reassuring.  _ “One of these guards is entering the code to bring power back down to the assembly lines.” _

Sure enough, across the wide expanse of the room, they can hear the generator kick. Around them, machines whir to life, beeping and clicking as systems come back online. At the far back, where Pidge had been seeking out the data center for sentry programming, a tank starts pumping bright purple quintessence. Conveyor belts begin their endless crawl, metallic body parts moving once more, assembling. Despite her nerves, Pidge’s eyes widen and she looks like she’s just stepped into a treasure trove of new things to tinker with. Sendak remembers how she had gotten around the Castle of Lions and made short work of reprogramming things to thwart their attempts at takeoff. She is dangerous, a worthy opponent, much as he’s loathe to admit it.

“If you are going to make your adjustments to slow the machines down, now is the time,” he advises her.

“When I need help from a giant purple asshole, I’ll ask for it,” Pidge snaps, stalking over to the nearest control pad.

Hunk clears his throat. “Uhhh, Pidge, won’t you need him to unlock the controls?” 

The look she throws at him could melt down some of the sentries. Hunk doesn’t flinch back. Sendak feels his lips twitching upward. He looks at Lance, then moves forward to lend his assistance, awkward though it will be while his arm is still bound behind his back. 

Before any of them can touch it, the panel hisses like a feral creature, and the sound fades into a nasty hum. The two males had jumped at the sound, but Sendak won’t say so. His eyes narrow, a bad feeling slithers down his spine. He fights the urge to pin his ears back, instead turning all of his senses to their surroundings. Another sinister crackle elicits from somewhere off to their right, followed by a sub-vocal  _ boom _ that rattles in his bones and shakes the floor at their feet. 

“Guys,” Hunk’s voice wavers, “What’s ha--”

One more snap-hiss- _ groan _ and everything goes black.

“What just happened?” Lance demands through their comms. 

_ “The control room just shut down.” _ The edge to Shiro’s voice is a familiar sound, he’s braced for a fight where he doesn’t know the opponent. 

“It’s not just the control room,” Pidge told him. “It’s down here too.”

_ “Guys!” _ Keith yells.  _ “Galra battle cruisers just came outta hyperspace. They’re locked onto us and closing in!” _

“I thought you said they didn’t get a distress beacon off to central command!” Hunk is still off to Sendak’s left, his movements tensing up. 

Their fear clogs the room, the scent cloying, Sendak tries to focus through it. There are  _ some _ benefits to a crew of non-flesh soldiers, he realizes. He also files the thought away for later that these really aren’t soldiers, they’re children. 

_ “They didn’t! They found us some other way. Team, get up here as quick as you can! We’re going to have to fight them!” _

_ “The particle barrier on the castle is still intact. Coran and I are headed back to engage the cruisers. Paladins, hurry!” _

Sendak has fought in many battles, and even the most green of soldiers on his ship didn’t ooze this much panic in a suddenly hostile situation. Capable fighters they may be, but there are some very glaring fault lines in their presence, cracking and getting bigger the longer Zarkon pursues them. 

“We’ve gotta go.” 

Lance moves behind Sendak, and he tenses. That boy better not shoot first and ask questions later. Sendak has a vested interest in making it out of this alive. Instead of firing his bayard, the bracer on Lance’s left arm flashes white, cutting through the darkness with a single beam of light. 

As if that’s some sort of cue, other lights come to life -- but they don’t belong to the paladins. One by one, the red streaks across the helmets of all the waiting sentries activate and metal starts moving. 

“Oh no no no no no,” Hunk whines.

“Look what you’ve done, Hunk, you jinxed us with that stupid AI movie crap!”

Sendak hisses. “There is a druid on one of those approaching ships. They’re controlling the quintessence in the sentries. Find the exit,  _ now _ !” 

The room erupts into chaos. As soon as their systems come online, the sentries only need a moment to orient themselves. There is no doubt they are having a much better time ‘seeing’ in the near-black than the paladins. Sendak is used to darkness, his eyesight better suited, but all the movement makes it more difficult. As bayards start firing and metal starts crashing down, he can only track the three of them by the flares of blue, green and yellow. Unlike her two companions, Pidge’s weapon is not a type of firearm. Resigned, he makes his way to her, shouldering through throngs of sentries, a powerhouse with his height and mass. They’re all very fortunate these sentries aren’t armed. But harnessed as he is, he’s practically useless, and that won’t do. 

Careful to evade the swings of her little but powerful handblade, he gets in close, bumping his back to hers. She’s absurdly small and delicate behind him, but so fierce and  _ angry _ . 

“Green paladin, cut me free,” he tells her.

“I’m not listening to you! You’re probably the reason this is happening!”

“Do you want to die in this room with your friends? Cut me loose.” His voice drops into a warrior’s growl, low. “You  _ owe _ me.”

Her breath stutters before she lets out a yell, slicing down the nearest sentry. She turns for another, and he moves with her. Pidge is panting, fear and guilt and rage peppered across Sendak’s senses. She curses and turns when there is a break in the onslaught. The sudden jolt of released pressure staggers Sendak, the straps falling to his feet. He steadies his stance and shakes out his right arm, making a fist. The pins and needles sensations start to abate.  All of his training comes back in a rush, all of the recovery time while his left arm hung useless and heavy with Galra technology and druid spells. With a snarl, he pushes forward to fight alongside the paladins.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The production facility becomes a death trap with sentries inside and Galra cruisers outside. Underneath battle highs and narrow escapes, a discarded commander is given a gift and a paladin protects a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! I am super excited for this chapter, and I thank you all for your wonderful comments and support! <3 If you wanna come talk to me about this or anything Voltron, come pester me on [my Voltron tumblr](http://paladinpuppypile.tumblr.com).

Sendak holds one side of the sliding doors while Lance and Pidge hold the other. On the other side, they can feel as much as hear the sentries beating themselves against it, pushing and fighting them to get even a crack of space to fit through. Hunk’s bayard lights up the darkness as he welds the seam closed. It’s a temporary fix, but it should give them the chance to get back up to the control room with the others. They bolt once the seam is shut, Pidge pulling up the map on her bracer as Hunk and Lance light the way with theirs. Sendak's ears twitch to and fro, listening for the sounds of pursuit, difficult against the thundering of their boots against the floor, but so far it's successful. The elevator isn't an option, so they take the tight stairwell in a single file with Pidge at the lead and Lance taking up his former position behind Sendak. It's a sensible move; keeping a former enemy from being entirely at their backs and allows Lance to fire if any sentries manage to find their way to them. 

They break onto the main level and keep running. 

_ "We’re engaging the cruisers. Get back to the ship, to your lions." _ Shiro isn’t yelling, but his voice is tight, tense.

"What do we do with Sendak?" Lance asks, short of breath.

" _ Bring him with you. _ "

"What about the prin--"

" _ Bring. Him. _ " 

Beyond them, through the viewing window of the control room, a battle cruiser looms close. Sendak assesses it while the three paladins scoop up whatever gear they'd brought in with them, following Shiro's sharp command without hesitation. They are trapped targets within the facility, and that is never more apparent than when he catches sight of the ion cannon charging. His lips draw back in a snarl. Zarkon had given the order to destroy. What a waste.

"C'mon, fuzzy, your ride's leavin'," Lance calls after him.

"Wait." 

Sendak stops short; he can still scent the other two guards. They had been left behind when the others made their way back to the ship. They'll be destroyed. He turns away from Lance, Pidge and Hunk, crouching down to tear their restraints free. "Come."

"No," one of them says, reaching up to pull off his helmet. "The Altean princess may suffer one of our kind on the ship, especially with the Champion's word, but not all three of us. You must go." 

Sendak growls, but there's no budging them. "You will die pointlessly."

"We will die as we were meant to," the other says, standing up. "On our feet, facing the enemy."

That surprises him.

"You comin' or not?!" Lance yells.

The first guard reaches out and takes Sendak's remaining hand, pressing something hard, metal in it. "You are Haxus's commander. He was not of us, but among us. He would want you to have this. Go. The Blade of Marmora is with you."

The breath punches out of Sendak's lungs as he closes his hand around what he knows now is a dagger. It's warm beneath his fingers. The shape of its hilt will leave marks in his palm. "Vrepit sa," he rumbles.

"Vrepit sa, Commander," they say together.

"Sendak!" Pidge calls from the doorway. 

He turns and leaves them. He doesn't look back as he sprints blindly towards the ship. Just as he boards and the particle barrier raises, he hears the blast of the ion cannon behind him.

~*~

When the paladins return to the castle with their lions, no one is very surprised to see Sendak in a similar harness to the one they cut off of him down in the production facility. Allura steps away from the ship’s controls, tired, but the jump into a different galaxy had been successful. No more cruisers, but unfortunately, no more facility. Pidge blows a lock of hair out of her face, trying not to pout. Their first really good break-in, and they’d had to leave it behind before she could download a single damn thing other than the map. She had seen one of the cruisers destroy the entire facility. Returning is not an option, and who knows when they’ll find another opportunity like that. She’s angry. And guilty. 

Looking over at their...prisoner? Ally? Whatever Sendak is, she notes he’s perfectly calm, his features stony and grim. He appears disinterested while Allura and Shiro argue whether he should go back into a containment pod. Pidge isn’t listening to the words, but she thinks Shiro is winning. Something about how it had been a terrible plan last time, and it likely won’t be any different this time either. He’s very adamant, at the very least, about not extracting from Sendak’s memories as they had done before. As fascinating as that technology had been, even Pidge understands it lacks the humanity they’re all clinging to out here in the black. She tunes out the rest of the argument. Shiro has it covered, and Pidge’s thoughts are preoccupied. 

“I’m gonna shower,” she mutters, glancing around the room to make sure no one actually looks like they’re going to follow her. Thankfully, she manages to escape the bridge alone, but instead of turning towards the dormitory sector of the ship, she heads in a different direction.

Shiro had been in terrible condition the last time any of the paladins had needed to use the cryopod chamber. Pidge had held her breath as Coran engaged them, watching as he puzzled over the fact that one of them wouldn’t raise when he selected it on the console. 

“Bloody ancient ship,” he’d complained. “Always malfunctioning. Ah, well, the next one’s gotta work, right?" And it had, groaning to life as it came out of the floor and opened its barrier for them to put Shiro inside. 

Pidge knows better; it isn't a malfunction. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she calls up the panel on her bracer, tapping in a sequence of numbers she had concocted herself and will never forget. The release of the locks on the jammed cryopod is too loud to her, and she jumps, turning to watch it come up. She doesn't dare disengage the cryo function, but she does step right up to the glass and lightly place her hand on it.  The Galra within it sleeps, his eyes closed, brow slightly knotted as if he's deep in thought, impossible though it is. Even like this, trapped, at the mercy of Pidge and anyone in the castle that might discover her secret, he still looks like a noble warrior. Everything he had boasted in the fight for the Castle of Lions he had lived up to in battle. She had just been lucky, and she knows it.

"Hey." Her forehead follows to the glass, and she can’t breathe around her guilt. "There's someone here who's gonna want to see you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quiet moments in the castle-ship are few and far between. Shiro wishes he was spending them anywhere but with Sendak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, my dears! We missed a week while I was away for Katsucon, but I'm back with the newest chapter! I'm already at work on what's to come. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Come yell at me about Galra and paladins on my [tumblr](paladinpuppypile.tumblr.com)

 

The Castle of Lions isn’t a ship meant to hold prisoners. Though there are emergency adjustments that can be made, such as using the containment room where Sendak had originally been held, there is no “dungeon” to speak of. Lance and Hunk banter in nerdy RPG lingo about how ridiculous it is that a magical castle doesn’t have a dungeon, but the truth of it leaves them needing to improvise once more. Since Shiro refuses to allow the containment room to be used again, Allura grudgingly relinquishes one of the spare passenger rooms in the dormitory wing of the ship. Between Coran and Pidge, the mechanism on the door is altered so Sendak can’t open it from the inside and the ventilation systems are rigged to set off practically every alarm in the castle if he tries to fit through. It might be worth the entertainment, considering the vent shaft is the size of Sendak’s thigh. Allura grouses about removing any little thing that could be considered a comfort because the passenger rooms are way better than anything Sendak deserves. Whether Sendak agrees with that assessment or not, he’s smart enough not to say.

Shiro’s shoulders are wound tight as he makes his way to the room, a plate of green goo in his hands. Even though bringing Sendak on board had been his idea, it doesn’t endear him to the idea of spending time in close quarters with him. For the time being, he will only allow himself to be the one handling the interactions with the fallen commander. He won’t risk his more inexperienced paladins to the chance Sendak could overpower them and make his way out on the ship. Something deep down tells him that won’t be Sendak’s MO if he does indeed attempt to escape. If Sendak is going to make a break for it, he’ll do it when he knows it will actually work. Shiro is fairly confident in that.

“Room service,” he announces flatly as the door whooshes open. He steps in briskly so it closes again immediately. 

Sendak sits on the floor, too large for the cramped space of the single bunk. Shiro finds the design of their rooms a tight fit for his own height. For a Galra of Sendak’s size, it’s such a ridiculous concept. Sendak is cross-legged, his back up against the side of the bed. He turns his head, ears flicking forward, giving Shiro his full attention. The brow over his good eye lifts, and his nose wrinkles when he breathes in.

“What a thoughtful meal to have been prepared. Only the finest of the ship’s ration proteins in the most unappetizing presentation imaginable.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed. “Hey, if you don’t want it, I can take it right back to the commissary. Someone around here will eat it and complain about it less. If I have to go this long in space without so much as a steak or a chicken nugget, you can deal with what you get.”

Though Sendak doesn’t understand the food references, Shiro’s tone delivers the message clear enough. He takes another sniff. “I suppose I should be grateful it smells at least a little like it was once a living thing.”

“Yes, you should.” Shiro sets the plate down in front of Sendak and takes a moment to consider how he’s bound. His lips turn down. He’s certainly not about to hand-feed him. Sighing, he moves to reach behind Sendak, to the mechanized lock on the harness. It bothers him that the commander shifts back a bit with a wary look. “Don’t make me regret the liberties I’m making sure you get.” He releases the lock, watching Sendak roll his shoulders with a groan. 

“Of course.” Sendak doesn’t move to reach for the food, his gaze flickering back up to Shiro with that same wariness.

It takes Shiro a moment to figure out why, but his expression sours. “You’re kidding right?” He reaches down and scoops a handful of the goo, shoving it in his mouth without hesitation. He swallows quickly. “You really think I went through all this trouble just to poison you?”

“No, but I do think you would go through a lot of trouble to acquire your precious information.” Satisfied with seeing no ill effects and scenting nothing else off about the meal, Sendak reaches a hand out to take some of it. The next face he makes is at the texture on his fingers, but wisely keeps quiet about it.

Shiro leans against the closed door with his arms crossed, the harness dangling from one hand while Sendak eats. Having the tables flipped between them still doesn’t feel right at all. It’s unfair; Shiro thinks he should be enjoying having the upper hand, but he feels miserable and tired. He redirects his thoughts and breaks the silence with a quiet, “Thanks.”

The way Sendak licks his lips reminds Shiro of a cat. As does the slow blink of confusion in his direction. “What for, Champion?”

“Can we just stick with Shiro?” he snaps. “The Champion is gone. The paladins don’t need him here.”

“As you say. What are you thanking me for,  _ Shiro _ ?”

“For helping them get out,” Shiro replies. “You could have done some damage to them back there, but you didn’t. I appreciate that.”

“Taking the time to do that would have lessened my chances of making it out alive. The fate of that facility became clear very quickly.” At Shiro’s sour expression, he chuckles. “Also, it would have been a terrible way to start an alliance, don’t you think?”

Shiro sighs. “It’s always going to be like this with you, isn’t it? You know the more you dance around with words and taunt us, the longer it’s going to take for the princess to trust you being aboard this ship. I can’t protect you if you don’t respect that you’re no longer in a position of power, especially on this ship.”

“Neither are you.” Sendak shakes his hand a little, dislodging the remnants of green from it with a grimace. “Those paladins of yours are children. The princess herself is barely of her years to command a ship. You’re all in over your heads, and you want to lecture me about positions of power.”

Shiro bristles. “We still hold Voltron, Sendak. We command the universe’s greatest weapon. Children or not, the lions chose us, even the red one. We didn’t ask for this, but we’re here now, and we’re not going to turn our backs on it.”

“As admirable as your resolve to fight the emperor is, their training is lacking. If you’re going to command them into battle, you need to pick up the slack. Fighting a war is more than just magical ships and building super-weapons. Your attempts to hold the production facility are likely the first steps in the right direction you’ve made since your first battle, but you have a long way to go before you undo ten thousand years worth of conquest.”

And just like that, Sendak is under his skin. It’s as if he has a natural talent for that -- or knows Shiro well enough it’s that easy. As Zarkon’s personally trained commander, and also the former Champion’s patron, either could be true. 

“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t realize every time we walk into the cockpit that I’m taking inexperienced  _ cadets _ into the warzone? We don’t have a choice! The Galra forced our hands when they kidnapped a team of scientists,  _ unarmed explorers _ and imprisoned them. I didn’t ask for this and neither did they. Our planet might not be threatened now, but it’s an inevitable reality the longer we leave Zarkon to his own devices. I don’t need you to tell me how unprepared for war we are,  _ Sendak _ , I’m well aware!”

As if the castle feels his outburst, the lights flicker and from out in the hallway, one of the alarms is blaring. 

_ “Shiro, I need you back on the bridge!”  _ It’s Allura. Shiro’s racing heart finds itself in his throat.  _ “A Galra fleet just came out of hyperspace, and we’re preparing to engage!” _

Shiro looks down at the harness in his hand, Sendak’s calm face shifting in and out of shadow as the alarms and lights continue their warning. He huffs, biting back a curse. There’s no time to restrain Sendak again; he’s going to have to trust that the securities in place will do their job keeping him where he belongs. He doesn’t say a word, turning on his heel and shoving his hand over the sensor. The door lets him out with a whoosh, and he only stays long enough to see it close behind him before he bolts for the bridge.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old ghosts and bitter regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience, my darlings! It's bee a crazy month or so since my last chapter. Since then, I've gotten some really wonderful and inspiring comments. I can't tell you how much I appreciate those! I'm so glad you're still following along.  
> [:: = flashback]

_::Thace opened his mouth to speak._

_“That one,” Haxus said, pointing to one of the tallest of the second year recruits._

_Calling the hodge podge group of soldiers in training ‘recruits’ was really more of a kindness, a courtesy. In reality, they were something of a mess. Some uncultured, some poorly trained in the ways of respecting authority and following orders._

_“You, step forward,” the instructor commanded, and the young male Haxus had indicated flicked his large ears back as if he would stubbornly refuse, but he stepped briskly out of the lineup and marched up to the front row of his peers._

_“I was going to choose that one,” Thace muttered. It sounded like he was sulking._

_Haxus smiled. “You ought be a bit quicker then, shouldn’t you?” He turned his attention from his companion to the recruit standing before him._

_Before Haxus could say more, the boy straightened his shoulders and raised his fist to his chest. “Vrepit sa.” It was rushed, forced, but at least he’d made an effort._

_“Vrepit sa,” Haxus responded, inclining his head. “Your name, recruit?”_

_His ears went back a little farther. “Sendak.”_

_The instructor clasped his hands behind his back and leveled a gaze that might have been concerned were it not for the obvious distaste he had for this room and nearly everyone in it. Deplorable, in Haxus’s opinion. “He has no kin to speak of. He is a second year, with promise in his physical abilities, but he’s--”_

_“I would appreciate it if you would allow me to ask him these questions, Instructor Marek. I would have liked to hear it from him instead of you, but thank you for the information.”_

_It didn’t escape Haxus’s notice that Sendak was braced for_ something _. Haxus didn’t acknowledge how tense he was, merely giving the recruit the respect of his full attention now that the flustered instructor had shut his mouth._

_“You are being chosen as my pupil. Once you finish your term here, you will transfer to my domicile and begin further training. You are to refer to me as Teacher until you have earned the right to call me by name. Do you understand?”_

_The silence that followed almost stretched too long. “Yes, Teacher.”_

_Haxus smiled. “Very good. Return to your class.”_

_As Sendak saluted once more and headed back, Haxus smiled cheekily over at Thace. “Now, my lord, which of the ones that remain is fit to rise up with my chosen?”_

_Thace flashed a bit of fang at him, turning his nose up a little at the challenge, but it was clear he had already accepted. “That one.”_

_From that point on, Sendak and Prorok became students of two respected Highborn, and the fiercest of rivals.::_

~

Thace staggers into his room, and only once the door has securely closed does he allow his knees to buckle. He sags against the nearest surface, his breathing coming out in jagged bursts as if he’d run from the throne room all the way here. He swallows repeatedly to keep the bile down, his stomach a mess, his eyes stinging. It’s madness. Sheer and absolute madness. Thace stumbles over to his console and presses his hand to the security pad. A small panel opens up near the floor and he retrieves a flask, rips the cap off so he can down a liquor that will hopefully burn more than the acid, more than his regret.

He can’t afford to drink too much, so the flask is stowed after only a few gulps. Thace backs up until he reaches the end of his bed and sinks down onto it with his head in his hands. He can still clearly and vividly hear Prorok’s shouts of protest in the back of his mind. He isn’t likely to forget that anytime soon. Haggar’s druids have him now; his fate is sealed and Thace has to step up in his place. It’s absurd. Prorok may have been ambitious, Thace had certainly trained him to be so, but he was no traitor. For Zarkon to see his attempts at capturing Voltron as traitorous when Prorok was just trying to be noticed, to see a glimpse of glory, only proves to Thace that the emperor’s mind has been corrupted by madness. In the old days, such actions were acceptable and even expected. There was always a risk of failure, but commanders acting on behalf of the empire, to _win_ for the empire should never be confused for betrayal.

Thace would have to wear the guilt of Prorok’s sacrifice on his shoulders along his new title of commander. He had just lost his charge, practically his _son_ for all he had raised and trained Prorok from a fledgeling recruit. Prorok will become nothing more than another lab animal for the druids’ terrible creations -- _a fate worse than death_ , she had said. Thace had never worked in the labs, not as closely as Ulaz, but he had heard more than enough stories. The things that came out from behind those doors varied from horrifying to brilliant and anything in between. Prorok was now an example. To Thace and anyone else under Zarkon’s command -- obey, dance on the puppet strings, be fodder. The corruption was at the heart of the Galra empire, and calling it a heart at all is a cruel joke. Now, more than ever, Thace has to see his mission through, and he has to do it alone.

Haxus and Sendak. Now Prorok. They were all gone.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, even though they couldn’t hear. “I’m so sorry.”

~*~

Well, the paladins survive.

The castle ship makes another jump through a wormhole, and the five of them collapse in the main lounge, a pile of armor and exhaustion. It’s only when they’re joined by Allura and Coran that Shiro pushes up to his feet and approaches her, his shoulders set in a tight line. The suddenness of his movements catches the attention of the others, and some of them sit up to see what happens next.

“We need to talk, princess,” he says sternly.

They step far enough away that trying to discern words from their tense discussion is difficult. A couple of times, Shiro raises his right arm, and Allura casts it a dubious glance, her brow furrowed. The conversation doesn’t look pleasant in the slightest. Even Coran’s irrepressible good nature is tempered by a grim expression.

“Pidge,” Shiro finally says, looking over his shoulder. Just the look on his face alone is enough to have her sitting up and climbing over the back of the sofa to get to them. “We’re going to go to your lab. There’s something I need you to confirm. _Before_ they track us down again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please come yell at me about Voltron on [tumblr](paladinpuppypile.tumblr.com)!


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